I met a dragon face to face
the year when I was ten,
I took a trip to outer space,
I braved a pirate’s den,
I wrestled with a wicked troll,
and fought a great white shark,
I trailed a rabbit down a hole,
I hunted for a snark.

I stowed aboard a submarine,
I opened magic doors,
I traveled in a time machine,
and searched for dinosaurs,
I climbed atop a giant’s head,
I found a pot of gold,
I did all this in books I read 
when I was ten years old.

I will always love short poetry. In looking for the perfect poem about children and reading great books, I came across this lovely little poem by an author I had never heard of before. I couldn’t have found one more perfect for this week. Like Stevenson, I think Prelutsky captures the heart of a child, and especially that of a boy. Boys love adventure, and it is a wonderful thing when they can find it first in books before they head out to the sandbox and into the world. This little poem — like the others I have written on before — captures the grandeur of reading many and various books. There are so many places you can go and so many things you can do within their pages. They are the start, not the end, even as you close the last chapter. Books are a spark for imagination and ingenuity, calling us to read more and to make adventures of our own. I hope my little book is the start of that for your children. I hope they go exploring outside, looking for a dragon nest, finding a horde of gemmed flowers, and discovering something no one has ever found before. I hope this book grows their wonder and love of reading. And I hope they share it all with you again and again. 

Blessings to you and yours,

~Madelyn Rose Craig